Les Elfes

THE LEGEND OF LES ELFES

Designed for students from all corners of the world, our Les Elfes Camps offer unique and enriching experiences to young people aged 8 to 18.

Verbier is located in the French speaking area of Switzerland, and French is widely spoken in and around the camp. However, being an international camp, English is the first language spoken in the camp and during their stay at Les Elfes, students will be able to practice the language of their choice with their friends, which is surely one of the most natural ways to learn languages.

At Les Elfes every guest is a young adult, with each and every one expressing his or her individuality within a truly international circle. Children and teenagers come from over 45 different countries to have an unforgettable holiday trying new sports and activities, discovering other cultures and making new friends.

From the programme of activities to the quality of accommodation, sports instructors, language teachers and administrators, everything has been provided for so that you can entrust your children to our care with a feeling of security. They will return with everlasting fantastic memories of their holidays, whether in spring, summer or winter.

At each camp they are supported by a Resort Manager and an Activities Director whose job is to coordinate the instructors & counselors, supervise the activities, manage security, and in general keep things running smoothly at the camps. Each age group is managed by a group leader, an assistant and a team of instructors & counselors who accompany and take care of the children during activities and throughout the camp. On top of this, we use professional instructors for certain activities offered during the sessions.

Finally, there is a team of kitchen staff, house cleaners, drivers, and others, all of whom watch over the well-being of our guests during the camps.

STAFF & SAFETY

Our dedicated and enthusiastic team of staff is 100% focused on students’ safety and the smooth running of the activities programmes

SUMMER CAMP VERBIER

Verbier, the original home of Les Elfes, is situated in the heart of one of the most beautiful regions of the Swiss Alps. Directly opposite Le Grand Combin which rises to 4300m, Verbier’s stunning location on a south facing plateau guarantees an exceptionally sunny climate in both summer and winter.

In addition to a breathtaking panorama, Verbier is a cosmopolitan resort with a variety of shopping, eating and entertainment possibilities, and deserves its reputation as one of Europe’s finest mountain resorts.

ACTIVITIES for all age groups

The camp is centered on outdoor sports activities. From this point of view, Verbier, compared to a big city, leaves nothing to be desired. Our aim is to allow the youngsters to try out new activities, with optimum safety, and to make progress in the sports they already know. The Verbier summer camp programme is extremely varied and is made up of a selection of the following activities:

  • Football, volleyball, table tennis, basketball ( streetball ), badminton, pétanque, trampoline at Les Elfes, as well as squash, tennis and minigolf.
  • Golf on an 18 holes course at an altitude of 1500m, a private practice area and an approach (pitch & put) golf course.
  • Hiking and mountain biking.
  • Rock climbing, ropes course & abseiling (professional mountain guides supervise these activities).
  • Figure skating, ice hockey, curling.
  • Swimming, sailing, windsurfing, water skiing and tubing with our boat on Lake Geneva.
  • Horseback riding.

ACCOMMODATION IN VERBIER

Our two purposes built wood and stone chalets follow the Swiss Alpine tradition and offer charm and comfort to our guests. Both chalets are situated in green, peaceful surroundings and only five minutes from the centre of Verbier. The girls and boys are separated in each of the two chalets, which are completely equipped for holiday camps:

  • A permanently staffed and welcoming reception hall.
  • Large rooms with two to four beds and ensuite bathrooms.
  • Two spacious, sunny dining room with an open-planned sitting room and an open fireplace leading onto a south facing terrace with a barbecue.
  • A library, games hall, cinema, music room ( or discothèque ), classrooms, conference rooms and internet room.
  • Professionally equipped kitchens in both buildings.
  • All equipment for indoor and outdoor games and sports ( football field, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, golf putting / driving range, trampoline, pétanque area and climbing walls ).

SPECIAL EVENTS AND EXCURSIONS

Elves are naturally curious, with a desire to explore, so during their stay they will spend an overnight in a mountain hut sleeping in dormitories… fun guaranteed!

Once a week the students will go on an excursion to visit famous Swiss cities such as :

  • Lausanne
  • A trip to the Olympic Museum with its wealth of memories will keep your passion for the Olympics burning, followed by a walking tour in the old town to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe.
  • Geneva
  • With its humanitarian tradition and cosmopolitan flair, the European seat of the UNO and headquarters of the Red Cross is known as the “capital of peace”. Visit the old town, the heart of Geneva with its shopping and business quarter.
  • Bern
  • The capital of Switzerland – the old town of Bern has been entered on the list of UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites. The Houses of Parliament (Bundeshaus) rise above the city just a stones throw away from the railway station. Bern and bears, the city’s heraldic beast, are inseparable. When visiting the city we will take a trip to the Bear Pits.
  • Gruyère
  • The Gruyère region, with its rolling green landscape and peaks of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, is home to the world-famous Gruyère cheese. In the Gruyère’s modern cheese factory you will see how the tasty Gruyère cheese is made and the tour of culinary delights is followed by a guided tour at the Cailler chocolate factory .
  • Montreux
  • Visit the town of Montreux that nestles in the shelter of Lake Geneva, surrounded by vineyards and against the breathtaking backdrop of the snow-covered Alps, followed by visit of Château de Chillon.
  • France: Get a taste of France with a visit to Evian and the famous water factory, with also a walk along the world famous Lake Geneva
  • Italy: Discover the famous Italian city of Aosta, visit the old town and enjoy some Italian shopping.

CHOOSE ONE OF OUR 3 OPTIONS FOR YOUR PERFECT SUMMER CAMP

Option 1 – Multisports and languages:

This option will offer you the possibility of discovering, practicing and experiencing new sports activities and to improve skills in sports that you may have acquired already. Les Elfes offer the choice between more than 30 different activities.

The sports programmes will be combined with the learning of new languages such as French, English, Spanish or German from 8 hours per week for the discovery of a language to up to 15 hours per week with intensive language lessons.

The programme will be completed with excursion and sightseeings to Swiss, Italian and French major cities every weeks of the different sessions offered by Les Elfes.

Option 2 – Arts and languages:

This option will initiate you to various kinds of dances such as Modern Jazz and Hip Hop, as well as the various techniques of painting and theatre workshops. Whether you already have skills in these fields or have never even tried it before (annuler repetition before), our team of professional teachers will help you to develop and experiment new techniques that will change you in great artists and perfomers at the end of the session when you will leave our camp.

This program will also be including some sports outdoor activities as well as the learning and discovery of new languages English, Spanish, German and French from 8 to 15 hours per week depending on the level you wish to reach during your time at Les Elfes.

The discovery of Switzerland will be completed with excursions to monuments and cultural centers of the major Swiss cities, as well as French and Italian cities in Evian and Aosta.

Option 3 – Multimedia and languages:

This option will acquaint you with the use of new multimedia and web communications tools which are more than necessary in the modern world we live in, and our Multimedia camp will make you very comfortable with all the new technologies and communication ways. At Les Elfes you will learn to create your own video animation with pictures, musics, sounds, camera recordings and texts. All these components put together will help you develop your creativity skills, increase your team work skills all this in a fun way. Your work will be published on social networks, data supports and on Les Elfes’ web pages.

Outdoor activities, language learning and Cultural excursions will also be part of the program.

SUMMER CAMP LA TZOUMAZ

THE SMALL CAMP FROM LES ELFES FOR A FAMILIAL AND COSY ATMOSPHERE

LOCATION

La Tzoumaz, also referred to as Les Mayens de Riddes or Verbier North, is located in the beautiful French speaking part of the Swiss Alps, at an altitude of 1500m and overlooking the Rhone Valley.

With a year round population of 300 inhabitants and many more in the winter, La Tzoumaz offers all the charm and comfort of a typical Swiss Alpine village.

La Tzoumaz is 1 hr 45 from Geneva, 2 hrs 45 from Zürich and 30 minutes from the Italian and French borders.

CHOOSE ONE OF OUR 2 SUMMER CAMPS OPTIONS IN LA TZOUMAZ

Option 1 – ECOLOGY AND LANGUAGES:

Les Elfes is proud to offer you a unique camp based on Ecology. Being based in the beautiful Swiss Alps allows us to offer you the possibility of learning about the environment and the fundamental concepts of ecology. You will learn about your environment through fun field work and activities based on the Swiss Alps. The aim of this camp is to give you a great understanding of the mountain environment in a stimulating, fun and relaxed atmosphere.

The exploration of the mountains, various activities and games will help the understanding of the nature, and especially designed field work will complement the theory classes.

The exploration of the woodland, the fresh water ecosystems, the visit of hydroelectric power sites and the exploration of a glacier will help you understand the negative effects of global warming.

Along with the field work there are some fun mountain based activities which encourage the students to get to know their environment more intimately. Students will be able to learn rope skills, navigation skills and mountain survival at night time, mountain biking, rock climbing, swimming, spend the night in a mountain hut and develop photography or environmental art skills.

Learning new languages such as English and French and the cultural excursions offered by Les Elfes will complement the programme and make your stay very educational and fun in the most beautiful environment possible, the Swiss Alps.

Option 2 – Multisports and languages:

This option will offer you the possibility of discovering, practicing and experiencing new sports activities and to improve skills in sports that you may have acquired already. Les Elfes offer the choice between more than 30 different activities.

The sports programmes will be combined with the learning of new languages such as French and English from 8 hours per week for the discovery of a language to up to 15 hours per week with intensive language lessons.

The programme will be completed with excursions and sightseeings to Swiss, French and Italian major cities every weeks of the different sessions offered by Les Elfes.

Winter Camps

Verbier, one of the most famous ski resort in Europe !

Verbier is a world wide known resort that is situated in the heart of the French speaking part of the Swiss Alps, in the canton of Valais, at an altitude of 1500m opposite the Grand Combin mountain range which rise to 4314 m.

Verbier is ideally located on the south facing part of the mountain and guarantees exceptional sun both in summer and in winter.

Verbier, set in a breathtaking panorama, is one of the most famous resorts in Europe and offers the best in sporting and leisure activities all year round in a cosmopolitan and relaxed atmosphere.

The ski area includes more than 450kms of skiing and snowboarding runs from altitudes of 1500m to 3300m and has more than 120 ski lifts connecting the 4 valleys.

The high altitude of Verbier guarantees an incredible quality of snow from December to April.

Verbier is located 13⁄4 hrs away from Geneva, 23⁄4 hrs from Zurich and 30 minutes from the French and Italian borders.

Winter sports and fun !

The Elfes’s campers discover ski or snowboard with professional ski/snowboard instructors for 3 hours in the morning for the ski lessons and 3hours of ski guiding in the afternoon. Students are divided into small groups according to their level.

The students are accompanied by instructors and our professional staff in all sports activities. Skiing and snowboarding are practiced only in suitable conditions and we are well informed of any weather or snow condition changes.

The ski runs in Verbier are all very well prepared, off-piste skiing (away from the prepared runs) is forbidden at all times and the mountain staff have mobile telephones in case of any emergency.

Choose between the 3 options offered by Les Elfes for your Winter:

–       One and Only Skiing: Ski/snowboard lessons, after ski activities, evening activities.

–       Ski and Learn: Ski and Snowboard lessons with 8 hours of language lessons per week.

–       Ski and Study: Ski and Snowboard lessons with 15 hours of language lessons per week.

«Après-ski»… (After ski)

Each camper can choose his «après-ski» and evening activities.

Beside the sports and linguistic activities, other special events are organized :

  • Games
  • Visits of verbier
  • Swimming
  • Shopping
  • Relaxing
  • Language courses (following your choice at registration)

Private sports can also be organized upon request

Choose between the 3 options offered by Les Elfes for your Winter:

  • One and Only Skiing: Ski/snowboard lessons, after ski activities, evening activities.
  • Ski and Learn: Ski and Snowboard lessons with 8 hours of language lessons per week.
  • Ski and Study: Ski and Snowboard lessons with 15 hours of language lessons per week.

Each camper can choose his après-ski and evening activities.

Beside the sports and linguistic activities, other special events are organized :

  • Games
  • Visits of verbier
  • Swimming
  • Shopping
  • Relaxing
  • Language courses (following your choice at registration)

Private sports can also be organized upon request.

Language courses (optional)

The programme includes eight hours per week of conversational language courses in French, German, English or Spanish. They are not compulsory and replace the après-ski activities.

It is possible to sign up for 7 extra hours of language lessons in order to join the intensive courses that will teach you your language of choice for a total of 15 hours per week with grammar, writing and conversational components.

Language programs are taught by Verbier Language School.